Gas regulator



Dec. 8, 1953 c. w. HART 2,661,601

' GAS REGULATOR Filed Aug. 14, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l CHARLES W. HART a qww awe/whom Dec. 8, 1953 c. w. HART 2,661,601

- GAS REGULATOR Filed' Aug. 14, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 CHARLES Hf HART Patented Dec. 8, 1953 ITEFD smrsrs FA-TENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

Thespresent:inventionwrelates' generally to gas r-regulators,- and specifically 1101a regulator for use withzzcompressetl gaseous .fuels for internal: combus'tion engines.

In'JIIsing gaseousifuels, such as-butane or protpanet-intinternalnomhustion engines, particularly vehicular engines, theifuel is containedunder relativelyhigh. pressureinuitanks and dueto its .l'owFboiling pointxit is necessary to reduce the pressure of the iuelto allower pressure: consistent with-itlie enginerequirements. As the fuel expands ffrom high'apressure "to low pressure,- from a: liquirirzto gas, itztak'es 11p quantities of heat,

thus: lids-"necessary .to apply heat .to -:the as in order. that: :it :beexpanded to the low pressure :desired.

The principal object of this invention is to provideawegulatortfor expanding 'gaseous fuel from a-Hhighpressure to a low." pressure for use invan'internal combustion :engine.

Another -=object of: .the invention is x to provide aga's regulator which maintains the :same ratio -10f :gaslto Fair:- at :all altitudes.

A further object is to provide a. gas regulator whichaheats .theuexpancling :gas to the desired temperature for optimum performance.

A stilhfurither object :of the invention is to providers. regulator having rat-minimum of parts .ofnon-varying characteristics.

Another object is toiprovioie is. gas regulator r...

WhiChiiS not-dependentzuponvariable springs and weights.

Aiurther. obi ect is to provide-a regulatorhaving ,linearzsensitivity characteristics and having: a

rangeof sensitive operation for'use with engines 2..

=of,-.Wi.de1;y varying horsepower.

nestilliurtherobieotis to provide a regulator of rextremersensitivity at low volume-ioperationrand .-one having the, low pressure :sicleat .less than atmospheric pressure with a provision .for stopiping the total, flow of gas; when the. engine is stopped, sand one of .a minimum number of parts, inexpensively constructed, easily assembled and capableof eaisyadjustrnent;

Theseiand other objects .ofnthe: invention will 1 be readily discernable byreference .to the accompanying drawings which illustrate =pr.eferred embodiments of. .the invention, and in which Fig..:1..is;a Dlanv-iew iii-elevation of the inventionwith :a schematic view of an associated (carihureter-vent-uri.

Fig. V2 is a partial view in .sectiontaken on .line -2-.-2- of, Fig. .1.

Ei .:-.3.-.is.a -view-in,-.section taken on line 3-.3 ot-1 Rig. .2. i r 1 Fig: 4isarvertical)uiew-insectionamkenonZ-line linefi-Jxof FigzA.

:Fig; 8 is a detail view greatly enlarged, of :a second embodiment-'of the leversh'own-zin Fig. 73.

Fig.'%9.-is.a side viewiof the embodiment "shown in Fig. 8, and

Fig. is-a view partly in SGCtiOIIOf the piston and pilot valve shown in Fig. '2.

' Referring to the drawingiin whichlikemumerals indicate like partsv rthroug-hout-ztheseveral views, in Fig. 1, the-regulator is seen *tobeacylindrical case-:10 having .fue'linlet H, fuel outlet l2, hot water inlet l3, .ooldrwateroutlet Ii l. Mounting lugs [5 on .thesijdes' of'caseplll permit securing :theregulator to an engine inupright position and boltsdfizholdrin gas-tight condition the many seetions and ieiiaphragms-of the regulator to be seen in .the following :vieWs.

.Amatmosphenic-port I1, showntindotted line ;in,;Eig;.T1, .is sliield'edsfrom blown airv from an 'engines'coolingwfanor'oirt and dust in impact aair byiportibafiie [affix-ed by:rivets l9 to cover 2|.

\Comiuit 2:5 conducts fuel to 'thecarbureter venturi 3.6"(here shown'rin schematic form) from .fiuelmutlet 1'2.

In.Fig..2, the cold water outlet I13 is shown connecting with "heat. exchanger-chamber 22 be- .fliindrinthis viewi block'portion 23 of'the case II Referring momentarily to Figs. '5 and 6, it will be-seen. that;oase it 'hasran intermediate pressure :chamber "24. ofi a particular and serpentine shape fiormeclthy the convoluted 'walls 25; and is "connected by'ipassage255' and valve 21 to fuel inlet I].

Pteturning to Fig.2.;a-passage 213 over a portion of block 23 connects chamber :2 with a low pressure --val-ve cylindrical recess- 29 and counterbore cutx'in the rear portion .of'tpiston 32'which'is anovahlewithin recess 2Q}. Piston .32 has a valve face 33' of -a resilientmaterial such as a neoprene "washer hoacting with valve seat -36 to close a ,passa'ge-.-2 which connects intermediate pressure chamber 2- 3 with af'lowpressure "chamber 36. Piston 32, also-seen in. Fig. 10, has a threaded stem-5B- on which is threaded. .a conical valve headiw; holding the valve face 3-3 in proper position. stem-atozand piston 32 have passage 37 :therethroughin, which ;is: freely movable pilot valve connecting rod 38.?havinga loop-.39 at one end and at the other a conical pilot valve 4| seating on pilot valve seat 42 formed at the end of the counterbore 3|. Pilot valve 4| is of cylindrical shape and is soldered to the connecting rod 38 as seen in Fig. 10 or may be fixed thereon in any suitable manner.

As is readily seen in Figs. 2 and 3, a spring steel wire rod 43 loosely traverses loop 39 and is fulcrumed in hole 44 in the stud 45 fixed in the side of case ID. The other end of rod 43 similarly traverses the swivel eye 46 in the diaphragm retaining pin 41 which holds washers 48 on either side of diaphragm 49 (Fig. 7) which forms one wall of the low pressure chamber 36. Cover 2| protects the diaphragm 49 from dirt and impairment of movement, and diaphragm 49 is movable between the washers 48 by reason of the slightly larger hole 12 (seen in Fig. '1) so that it is readily conformable to any stretching or wear. A bypass 5| controlled by needle valve adjusting screw 52 connects chamber 36 with recess 29 and port 19 connects chamber 36 with the fuel outlet l2.

In'Figs. 4 to 6, valve 21 is seen to consist of a resilient wafer 53 of neoprene or other suitable material which controls passage 26, and is secured to the valve lever arm 54 which is fulcrumed on pin 55 traversing case l0, bracket 56 and wall 25. The end 51 of arm 54 (opposite the end having plug 53) is loosely movable within a U-shaped hook 58 secured by bolt 59 and washers 69 to a second diaphragm 6|. Bolt 59 is grooved as at 62 to receive one end of a second spring steel rod 63 pinioned in block 64 (Fig. 3) and midway of its length is intersected by rod 43 approximatly adjacent the swivel eye 46 under one condition of movement of the diaphragm 49 as shown by dotted line 49' in Fig. 4. Rod 63 has a bent portion 65 to limit its motion in the direction of diaphragm 49, and a friction plate 1| which is a flat spring of brass or the like having a slight curve and shown in Figs. 5 and 6 in edge view and front view, respectively, and bears at one end upon the edge of valve lever arm 54 to reduce flutter of the valve 21 due to the characteristics of the wafer 53 and permitted by the lost motion connection of the valve lever arm end 51 in hook 58. The

friction plate 1| is held in place bearing against the side of valve 21 with light pressure by having hole 1| through which pin 55 traverses, and as seen at 99 in Fig. 6, is slightly wider than the path of movement of valve 21 so that it exerts anti-flutter pressure in both open and closed positions.

Diaphragm 6| extends the full inside diameter of case l and is sealed by dividing wall 66 held in place in the frame of case In by screws 61. A port 98 in wall 66 permits limited movement of diaphragm 6| in the conventional manner. Wall 66 and diaphragm 6| have holes 69, 69a, respectively coinciding with the bypass Figs. 8 and 9 show the multiple leverage embodiment to replace the leverage action of rod 43 acting with pilot valve connecting rod 38. In this embodiment, an intermediate lever arm 16 traverses loop 39 and contacts rod 18 at point 8|, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9, gaining leverage to open the pilot valve 4|, rod 18 being associated with diaphragm 49 in the same manner as rod 43. Pilot valve 4| moves from seat 42 only a few thousandths of an inch under most conditions and closes readily with any increase of pressure in recess 29 over the pressure in chamber 36.

In operation, pressurized fuel is admitted to fuel inlet forces open valve 21 and fills chamber 24, slowly entering recess 29 by the close tolerance of piston 32 therein and moves piston 32 forward to seat valve face 33 on seat 34, conical pilot valve 4| also seating on pilot valve seat 42. Gaseous pressure builds up in chamber 24 until diaphragm 6| moves, tipping valve lever arm 54 by reason of hook 58 and closing valve 21. Now, with any dropping of pressure in chamber 36 or condition of partial vacuum such as due to suetion of the carbureter venturi 39 as the engine is cranked, diaphragm 49 moves toward the wall 66 and rod 43 (or 18) moves the pilot valve connecting rod 38, lifting pilot valve 4| from seat 42, releasing pressure behind piston 32 and allowing the flow of gas to chamber 36. Piston valve face 33 being larger than valve face 34, when pressure in chamber 24 exceeds the pressure in recess 29 behind the piston 32, piston 32 will move into the recess farthe and passage 35 will open, allowing gas to flow from chamber 24 to chamber 36 and thence to the engine. As pressure rises in chamber 36, diaphragm 49 moves away from wall 66, seating pilot valve 4| and, allowing pressure to build up again in recess 29, partially seating valve face 33 until pressure in chamber 36 reaches a balanced condition with the suction of the venturi 30. If pressure in chamber 36 exceeds the demand in the venturi, the diaphragm 49 will act to stop the fuel flow and if the demand is greater, the reverse will occur and more fuel will be allowed to flow from chamber 24 to chamber 36. Under conditions of heavy load or sudden acceleration, the drop in pressure in chamber 36 will move the diaphragm 49 until rod 43 contacts rod 63, moving diaphragm 6|, hook 58, and valve lever arm 54 to open valve 21, thus supplying more fuel until pressure becomes constant in chamber 36.

Due to the construction of the pilot valve and piston as described, all of the lost motion of the connection is in one direction with the result that when valve face 33 starts to move off valve seat 34, the fuel flow impinging on the conical head 40 moves the piston 32 relatively fast and valve face 33 and valve seat 34 are momentarily over-opened until action of the diaphragm 49 reverses it. This causes the regulator to provide adequate acceleration action necessary for use with vehicular engines and is one of the distinct advantages of the invention over regulators commonly in use. smooth acceleration and a rapid response to fuel flow result from construction of the regulator as here described and illustrated. The port H in the cover 2| permits the chamber 36 to be balanced by atmospheric pressure and therefore the regulator is self-compensatingfor changes in ambient pressure, and a normal fuel flow is maintained in the venturi at any altitude of operation.

The cross-sectional area of clearance between the piston 32 and the walls of recess 29 must be less than the cross-sectional area of passage 31 in the stem 56, taking into account, of course, the cross-sectional area of the connecting rod 38 in order that the pressure in recess 29 behind the piston 32 may be made less than the pressure in chamber 24, with the latter pressure then acting on the over-lap of valve face 33. The by-pass 5|, adjustable by needle valve 52, permits a slight reduction in pressure in recess 29 if desired and as a result, less pressure in chamber 24 lifts the valve face 33 and a greater degree of sensitivity is obtained. For all normal operation and. most engines, needle valve 52 is closed; fractional horsepower engines having been found to require a greater sensitivity than larger engines.

As is readily understood, the regulator is supplied with hot Water from the radiator of an internal combustion engine when used in a vehicle, and the regulator may be pro-heated before use in any conventional manner such as an electrical heating element or other means not here shown as not a part of the invention.

Further, the invention contemplates the use of a valve in the fuel line leading to fuel inlet H, and. may be of the solenoid type in circuit with the engines ignition system, and the dimensions of diaphragm 5i and passage 26 relative to the gaseous fuel pressure at the inlet I I are to be made such that valve 27 closes upon balancing of pressure in chamber 2 3 with the inlet pressure.

Among the advantages claimed for the invention are: the spring steel rod connection be" tween the diaphragm and the pilot valve M which absorbs shock on the diaphragm at any sudden opening of the throttle of the engine and assures long life for the diaphragm. Another advantage is the opening of valve 27 by the coaction of the spring steel rods 43 and 53 during conditions of acceleration, assuring the same long life to diaphragm 65, as well as providing smooth conditions of acceleration and operation under heavy loads.

A further advantage is that the fuel flow from chamber 24 to chamber 36 is governed by a valve which is changed from a pressure-closing valve to a pressure-opening valve in response to the operation of an associated pilot valve.

Finally, the regulator of the present invention has no weights or spring-loaded valves to in hibit the free action of the controlling diaphragm, and therefore there are no parts with variable or non-linear characteristics to affect the constant operation and optimum performance of the regulator.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosure relates only to preferred embodiments of the invention and that numerous modifications and alterations may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a gas regulator for use in the fuel induction system of an internal combustion engine, said regulator having a first chamber connected by conduit to a source of pressurized gaseous fuel and a second chamber adapted to be connected to a venturi in the engines intake, the combination of a main valve in the inlet to said first chamber, a diaphragm between said first and second chambers, means connecting said di- U aphragm to said main valve operable to open said valve upon a decrease of pressure in said first chamber, a port between said first and second chambers, a recess in the wall of said first chamber opposite said port, a piston reciprocal in said recess having a valve face operable to close said port, restricted conduit means between said first chamber and said recess, a second diaphragm in said second chamber responsive to the difference between pressure therein and atmospheric pressure, a passage in said piston, a pilot valve in said recess having its stem extending through said passage and operably connected to second diaphragm to open said passage upon a reduction of pressure in said second chamber, and means connecting said first diaphragm to said second diaphragm at positions of extreme movement of the latter whereby upon a sudden or extreme reduction of pressure in said second chamber said main valve is opened coincidentally with the movement of said pilot valve to open said passage and the movement of said piston to open said port as in normal operation on reduction of pressure in said second chamber, said piston and pilot valve closing said port and said passage respectively upon equalization of pressure in said recess and said first chamber.

2. The device as set forth in claim 1 together with a lost motion connection in the means connecting said first diaphragm to said main valve.

3. The device as set forth in claim 1 together with friction means associated with said main valve operable to prevent flutter of said valve.

4. The device as set forth in claim 1 in which the stem of the pilot valve is connected to the second diaphragm by a first lever pivoted at one end in the wall of the second chamber and in which the means connecting said first and second diaphragms at positions of extreme movement of the latter comprises a second lever similarly pivoted and engageable with said first lever substantially at their midlengths.

5. The device as set forth in claim 1 together with a metered by-pass between said recess and said second chamber.

CHARLES W. HART.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,073,298 Ensign Mar. 9, 1937 2,188,072 Brown Jan. 23, 1940 2,240,846 Hanson May 6, 1941 2,292,574 Laub Aug. 11, 1942 2,346,762 Jones Apr. 18, 1944 

